The Democratic Party took full control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives by wide margins following recent midterm voting. The party managed to outperform pre-election polling across Republican strongholds, specifically securing wins in Kansas, South Carolina, and Mississippi. Donald Trump later addressed the outcome, directly attributing the severe party losses to the war with Iran. Despite acknowledging its political toll, Trump maintained that the military action was necessary, declaring that "we had to do it."
Key points
Democrats secured commanding legislative power by winning wide margins in both congressio…: Democrats secured commanding legislative power by winning wide margins in both congressional chambers.
Traditional Republican strongholds flipped or swung toward Democrats contrary to expectat…: Traditional Republican strongholds flipped or swung toward Democrats contrary to expectations prior to the election.
Donald Trump defended the politically costly military action against Iran by insisting th…: Donald Trump defended the politically costly military action against Iran by insisting that the nation had to do it.
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This is an entry from: Live: Trump admits Iran war to blame for election defeat but 'we had to do it'
Here's why US Republicans lost the midterms so badly
5 November 2026 01:52 GMT
The US Democratic Party has swept the midterm elections, taking control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives by wide margins.
Exceeding pollsters' expectations in red states from Kansas to South Carolina to Mississippi, MEE explains why so many voters turned out - and what they were voting against.
The US Democratic Party has swept the midterm elections, taking control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives by wide margins. MEE explains why so many voters turned out - and what they were voting against. https://t.co/NhuWbfYmt8
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 4, 2026
Mounting fallout from the war in Iran has intensified scrutiny on the Pentagon chief after midterms shifted congressional control to Democrats. Despite public denials of an impending leadership shakeup, internal pressure persists as key Republicans link the conflict to their recent election defeats. Lawmakers are now preparing aggressive oversight that could complicate major military funding packages and imperil current defense policies.
Washington has penalized two individuals and one entity accused of assisting Tehran in obtaining man-portable air-defense systems. The punitive measures aim to disrupt international procurement routes helping the Iranian regime rebuild its weapons arsenal. By targeting these networks, U.S. officials intend to escalate legal and financial risks for third-country brokers and suppliers facilitating such military transfers.
The push to end the biannual clock-changing ritual focuses on the Sunshine Protection Act, an initiative that would lock in extra evening light year-round. While noting that the nation faces far larger legislative challenges, Donald Trump highlighted that earlier efforts secured broad bipartisan backing in the House but repeatedly stalled before the Senate. He previously held back on aggressively promoting the issue to avoid jeopardizing the electoral chances of vulnerable senators.